The Korean drama “W-Two Worlds” is a fantasy drama about Kang Chul (Lee Jong Suk) and Yeon-Joo (Han Hyo Joo), who live in two different worlds. Yeon-Joo is a surgeon living in the real world, while Kang Chul is the main character in a fantasy comic book world. Yeon-Joo’s father is a cartoonist who created a popular comic book series called “W,” hence the title of the drama. Things start to get interesting when her father decides to kill off the main character, and somehow Yeon-Joo gets pulled into the comic and falls in love with Kang Chul.
What I like
I have to admit, I was a bit concerned about how this drama’s fantasy storyline would play out. I wondered how the writers could make this drama interesting and exciting, knowing the story is a bit far-fetched. The story itself isn’t anything special. We have a romantic story between a character from the real world and a character from a comic book world. It reminds me so much of the music video from the 80s called “Take on Me” by the rock group A-ha. It’s a really fun concept, but many TV shows and movies have already mimicked this idea.
But I was wrong. The drama is very good. It’s fast-paced and very unpredictable. There were so many surprises throughout each episode; it really grabbed my attention. I mean, who wants to see very predictable dramas where you can figure out what is going to happen next? This is what makes this drama very good and special. I’ll try not to spoil any surprises, but the biggest surprise for me was when they revealed the identity of the main villains. I’m not going to say any more than that, but it will blow your mind.
I also like how the cartoonist can change things around in the cartoon world in real time. For example, he can draw a gun, and the character in the cartoon can use it when needed. Or the cartoonist can place a character in a different location when they are needed or in trouble. I felt like this made the story better and more exciting.
All the characters in the drama were fantastic. I love the two main characters, Kang Chul and Yeon Joo. I like that their relationship was very organic and genuine. It is not forced. It is refreshing to see a couple in the drama who are true to their feelings and genuinely love each other. Also, you should note that “W” is a drama mainly focused on two main characters. Many of the supporting cast don’t play a big role in the drama. This isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it made the drama better because the audience can really get to know the main characters.
Lastly, what I really like about this drama is the production. The production quality of this drama is top-notch. All the special effects are good and effective. Believe me, there were quite a few special effects in the drama. The special effects didn’t take over the drama but just made it better.
What I don’t like
This isn’t something I dislike, but there are a few things I would change about the storyline. First, I would give the audience a hint that Yeon Joo can draw well, like her father. We didn’t know she could draw well until around episode 7. We know she is the daughter of a cartoonist, so it makes sense that she can draw well and might take over her father’s cartoon later on. However, this wasn’t hinted at in the drama. There was a short flashback scene where young Yeon Joo was drawing while her parents were fighting, but that was the only foreshadowing. I felt there should have been more. The fact that she could draw just as well as her father came out of nowhere, and it felt like the writers added it at the last minute because they were stuck at one point in the story.
Second, there were a few times in the drama that didn’t make sense to me. For example, I couldn’t figure out how the black-faced villain could travel through space in the real world. In one incident, he was on a street and then magically appeared in Yeon Joo’s bedroom. It would make sense if it were the comic book world, but it was happening in the real world without any explanation. Again, it seemed like the writers were getting sloppy.
Lastly, there were a few times in the drama where it wasn’t clear what was the real world and what was the comic book world. For example, there was a scene where Kang Chul actually met Yeon Joo’s cartoonist father. I remind you, Kang Chul is a character from the comic book world. At first, I thought it was a chapter from the comic book, but it turned out it was happening in the real world. There were a few other scenes like this that were a bit confusing.
If I could point out one thing I didn’t like about the drama, it would be the last episode (episode 16). The first 15 episodes were fantastic, but when it came to the final episode, I was a bit disappointed with Han Hyo-Joo’s performance. In the last episode, when Yeon Joo’s character thought that Kang Chul was going to die and her father was stuck in the cartoon world forever, she started to cry in the hospital, but it looked so fake. It looked so fake that it was really awkward. I felt like the director stopped caring about the quality of the show since it was the last episode. I know Hyo-Joo is a fantastic actress; we saw it in her previous episodes. But I wasn’t sure why she didn’t make any effort in this final scene. It was a bit disappointing.
In the Nutshell
Even though I wrote about some of the things I was disappointed with in this drama, they didn’t really detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, it is a fantastic drama, and I highly recommend it to everyone. If you are looking for a slightly different drama with a fast-paced storyline and lots of surprises, “W – Two Worlds” is for you.
Thank you for the comprehensive review. I’ve been on the fence about watching this one because it seemed a bit far fetched and I didn’t know if the story line would work. Wait, it’s a drama…what was I thinking? I appreciate the “In a Nutshell” aspect of your review. Keep up the insightful reviews! I’m off to watch dramas.
Point 1: Was it necessary to have a scene to remind us that Yeon-Joo draws well enough? We quickly see her in a flashback from episode 5, when her parents are fighting. Then in the flashback at the beginning of episode 7, then we see her drawing at the end of that episode. That seems sufficient to me, and there was probably not enough time to show more. It is obvious that this is a major point planned by the scriptwriter, and certainly not something added on the spot. Nothing was done on the spot in this drama. The writer has built her story in depth, because it is very complex! The fact that Yeon-Joo is recognized as a legitimate author by the manhwa is of great importance throughout the rest of the drama.
Point 2: The fact that the faceless killer acts in the real world as well as in the manhwa world is one of the best surprises of the drama, enough to get goose bumps! Here again, the scriptwriter knows perfectly well what effect she is producing! This means that by passing into the real world, a character retains his or her attributes, and that the manhwa world can influence the real world, like the opposite, which is truly frightening.
Point 3: It becomes clear that you watched the drama too quickly, without paying attention to the details, and that it should have been reviewed several times. The manhwa is able to edit his story even if the action takes place in the real world, as long as the hero of the manhwa is involved.
Point 4: It’s quite subjective, I found it heartbreaking at the time, and it was just a short scene, a small weight compared to the thickness of the last episode. And in particular the fabulous and traffic scene, when she reaches Kang Chul by car.